The Legislative Audit Bureau’s June 2008 report on Wisconsin's dental Medicaid HMO program provides proof that the HMO dental MA system costs the state more money while providing less access to dental care than the MA fee-for-service model.

Despite this data, rather than removing the HMO component from the current four counties (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine and Kenosha), the state decided to expand the program to include Washington and Ozaukee counties beginning Aug. 1, 2010.

Data indicates MA patients residing in the HMO counties have lower access to dental care than those living in the state’s fee-for-service counties. This factor is a key reason why the WDA continues to advocate for the HMO dental MA program in southeastern Wisconsin counties to be replaced with the standard fee-for-service program.